 WHY BOOK THROUGH A TRAVEL OPERATOR? because there is no substitute to local knowlege for personalizing your vacation
The Ocean of Information on the Internet: The internet is covered with a vast amount of information on Belize. You'll find thousands of websites with information and products on the country. But how do you filter the credible and unbiased information from the rest? How do you put all that information into context if you've never been to Belize before? I've found that most people who are starting to plan a vacation to Belize with the internet as their only resource wind up frustrated with the endless flow of information. Too many options and not enough details or insight to make a choice. I know the feeling first hand, because I too plan vacations to other countries that I've never been to. This is where travel operators like DiscoveringBelize.com are invaluable. I was born and raised here. Since I was a child I've been exploring this country. My family and I would take weekend trips on my dad's boat to visit dozens of islands, both deserted and with cool little towns on them. He would often bring a friend of his, a local fisherman named Norman, and we'd go fishing or diving for conch. I had a horse on my dad's farm which I named Footloose. I remember day trips to have picnics on the river, or camp out in the jungle. I was touring Belize before I even knew what tourism was. Now that I'm in this business, I don't just sit behind a computer all day. I've continued exploring this country. I've stayed at resorts of every color and flavor throughout the country. I've been out on countless tours, constantly looking for the best guides. I've been there and done it, and all those experiences are perfectly organized and contextualized in my head. The internet is an ocean of information of variable quality that is hard to navigate. Contact me and I'll put it all into perspective for you.
Personalized Itineraries: As I emphasized in my letter above, traveling is ultimately a personal experience. I often say that there is no such list as the "best things to see and do". The only thing that matters is what you want to see and do. After you decide on a country, one of the first and biggest decisions you have to make is what destintions(s) you want to visit. Belize has about a dozen major destinations and even more if you count the off the beaten path places. Say for example you want to stay on an island. There are dozens of them, from deserted island to large ones with towns. Where should you stay? While you may find a lot of information online about each place there is often little to no information that helps you compare destinations. How do you know which is best for you? And the decision process becomes even harder if you want a complicated itinerary that includes 2 or more destinations. This is where my in depth knowledge of the country is invaluable. I've been to pretty much every destination you could possibly visit in Belize. I know first hand the atmosphere of each place that is often hard to describe in words. In the first few minutes of talking to you I get a good idea of what destination(s) is right for you. So you want to feel like a castaway on a secluded island and have a keen interest in marine biology, how about Southwater Caye or Frank's Caye both with marine research stations? So you want some of the best diving in Belize and are happy to dive all day, how about the Aggressor liveaborad or a dive resort on one of the atolls? So you're an avid fly fisherman and are hungry to catch the elusive permit, how about the saltwater flats off of Punta Gorda? So you want a remote and luxurious jungle lodge and have a keen interest in wildlife, how about the wild jungles of Orange Walk? So you have a taste for adventure, how about the caves, maya ruins and rivers of the Cayo district? And so on... I can guide you through ever decision you'll have to make and the end result will be a beautiful itinerary completely personalized to your tastes and interests.
Traveler and Guest Reviews: "I can find many reviews and testimonials from other travelers who have visited Belize, so why do I need a travel operator?" I think traveler and guest reviews apply particularly to resorts and hotels. I enjoy reading experiences from travelers online, however they are limited as a source for planning your trip. First of all all hotel guests do not rate the property with the same measureing stick. Some guests are very laid back and will complain about very little. Other guests are very picky, and will complain about the smallest thing. And the collective wisdom of all the reviews doesn't always apply to you! Check out this Trip Advisor review on a resort called Hamanasi, which is just south of Hopkins Village. Hamanasi has a a 5 star rating based on the average of 124 reviews (as it should, it's a great resort), but this woman rated it a low 2 stars! Not because, it's not a good resort overall, but because this was not a good resort for her tastes. She based her decision, as she states in her review, primarily on the great reviews from Trip Advisor. But none of those reviews could tell her what I could have told her in 5 minutes. "This destination is not right for you, it's secluded and remote. I think you'll be happier in a town where you have a choice of restaurants, bars and shops." Just a month ago I had a someone contact me with the idea of taking her family to Hopkins. In fact she was just about to book the resort before she called me. I immediatly realized that she was making the wrong decision and I completely redid her itinerary. After her trip she emailed me saying "Hi Alex... Just wanted to let you know that we had a fantastic holiday and will definitely be going back to Belize... Thank you for your help in putting together the holiday. We'll be in touch next year when we return... Laurie" If this was you, who's shoes would you prefer to be in: the poor woman who wrote that bad review on Trip Advisor or Laurie? This brings me to the second problem of reviews, there is no basis for comparison. These are guests sharing their isolated experiences of a hotel. But how do you compare one hotel to the other? As we've seen, it's not a simple matter of picking the one with the best reviews. The only way to truly compare is if the person has stayed at both hotels himself. I've stayed at so many resorts in Belize I've lost count, I can compare any of them to the most minute detail and recommend the one best suited for you.
Unbiased Recommendations: I'll admit that I'm biased in terms of Belize as a destination. So if you ask me, which is better Belize or Costa Rica? Of course I'll say Belize, it's my home. However when it comes to making recommendations about your itinerary in Belize I am completely unbiased. My only concern is for you to have a great experience in my country, no matter what destination in the country you choose or for that matter what resort. Try doing that by calling the hotel directly! If you call a hotel in Ambergris Caye for example, can you imagine them telling you "well sir, I regret to inform you that I don't think we are the right resort for you, why don't you try Acme Resort down the beach, I think they are better suited to your tastes." Never in a million years! Every resort will tell you that they are in the "best" destination in Belize, the "best" resort in the area and the "best" resort for you. They're also the "best" resort for advnture, relaxation, couples, families, eco tourism, diving, snorkeling, fishing as well as perfect for honeymoons and weddings! Yeah right! No resort is better than the other, they are just different. They represent the owner's individual idea of paradise. As a result, resorts in Belize come in all shapes and colors. They have distintive atmospheres that are hard to describe in words. Boiling down a resort to a 5 star average rating tells you very little about whether it's right for you. The same logic applies to picking a destination. Ambergris Caye for example receives the most visitors of all the destinations in Belize, and with good reason, it's a fun island. However does that make it the best destination in Belize? Not at all! Some prefer the more laid back and low key atmoshpere of Caye Caulker or the beaches in Placencia for example. I can't stress enough the difference a personalized itinerary will make on your experience. And to customize an itinerary you need unbiased recommendations from someone who's been there, period.
Prices & Ethics: Many people have the idea that booking your trip through a travel operator, costs more. Unfortunately, this does happen sometimes. It's often done with packaged itineraries where all you see is a final total and you don't know the itemized costs. An agent can hike up the total price and you are none the wiser. Cruise ships for example are notorious for hiking up the prices of shore excursions. Or a resort might hike up the price of a tour. However, this has more to do with the business ethics of the individual owner and company than with an inherent problem in the tourism industry itself. Fortunately, it doesn't happen often and most travel operators, travel agents and hotels are honest in their pricing. Speaking for myself and my company, I believe strongly in sound business ethics. The prices I quote are exactly what you would pay by booking directly. All my invoices have the costs itemized so you are welcome to test my word. Also, because of the leverage I have with hotels and tour guides, I can often get you better deals than you could on your own. The interests of businesses and customers are often not the same, but I belive that in the long run businesses that serve their customers well and are honest will do well.
If you have any comments, questions or general interest in Belize I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at info@DiscoveringBelize.com or call me at (713) 429-4384
The picture is of me relaxing at a beach resort, one of many resorts I've personally visited throughout the country.
cheers, Alex Gamero (owner of DiscoveringBelize.com)
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This blog is for you to share opinions, ideas and experiences about your travels (or upcoming travels) to Belize. So if you have anything to share: stories, pictures, videos, jokes, basically anything that has to do with Belize, just send it to us and we'll post it on our blog! You send it, we post it!
Here at DiscoveringBelize.com we work hard to bring you fun and fresh content for you to enjoy on Belize. And we will continue to do so in our Newsletter and Blog. However, we want to hear from you! Did you visit Belize and have an interesting story you'd like to share? Did you take some great pictures of Belize during your trip? Or how about a video? Did you a read a great article highlighting the country in a newspaper or magazine? This is a space where you can share anything and everything that's of interest to you about Belize! You'll share your ideas with people who have an interest in Belize just like you, and they can leave comments for you to see. We can complement your contributions with our own pictures and videos. We can even help you edit a story if you wish. So drop us an email, and start blogging today! Email Us
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